The Portuguese giants have struggled this season under Paciencia's leadership. He was hired in May after taking unfancied Sporting Braga to the final of the UEFA Europa League. Sporting Lisbon hoped he would guide the club to its first Liga Sagres (first division) title since 2002, but its progress was stalling.
Despite advancing to the knockout rounds of this season's Europa League, supporters were growing dissatisfied with league results.
It currently sits fourth in the standings, and trails leader (and city rivals) Benfica by 16 points. It has won just two of 10 games since the new year, and the club took action after it suffered its fourth-straight loss on Saturday.
The club promoted Sa Pinto from youth coach to head coach. It will be the former Portuguese international's first head coaching job. His contract runs until the summer of 2013, and he faces the task of improving the team's performances without spending money on expensive transfers.
The 39-year-old played for Sporting from 1994-97 and 2000-06. He served as the club's director of football from 2009-10.
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Thumbnail photo via Flickr/AC2012@
